11 Ways to Bless Your Church
The year was 1961, and JFK was giving his famous inaugural speech on January 20th. In his speech he declared to Americans that “we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty.” It was a compelling speech that was considered his best. From this speech came the famous line: “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”
The thrust of Kennedy’s speech was about sacrifice, and when his politics are laid aside, and our spiritual application engaged, one can say it is entirely appropriate for every Christian to ask not what their church can do for them, but to ask what they can do for their church.
This mentality, when applied to faithful churches seeking to advance the gospel, disciple believers, fulfill the New Testament “one another’s,” and reach the lost, will foster a strong and healthy body.
Are you a part of a church going in the right direction? Good! Here are 11 ways to be a blessing to your local body:
1. Expect Elders to Be Qualified (1 Timothy 3:1-7)
This first one is an expectation, but a biblical one. You are a blessing to a church first and foremost by expecting your leaders to be faithful, qualified, and not to elevate a disqualified or unqualified man into the leadership of the church. No man will be perfect or have a perfect wife and children (1 Timothy 3:4), but the godliness and faithful trajectory of the leaders and their homes will be consistent and clear. Pastors and members should partner together to ensure that no man is put into leadership because of his net worth, experience, big ideas, or self-inflated opinion. Even a man known for influence and leadership moxie should not be cleared unless his character trumps all else. As one mentor put it, “Leaders need to have courage and toughness, but no bulls should be allowed in God’s China shop.”
2. Pray for Your Elders
Whether your church votes them in as a congregation or the elders are nominated by sitting elders and reviewed by the congregation before final confirmation, those who are appointed will inevitably be saying “yes” to being on Satan’s target list. The burdens they carry are heavy, the responsibility is immense, and the judgment they will incur will be far greater than those who do not teach and oversee the flock (James 3:1; 1 Peter 5:1-4).
One of the greatest gifts you can give your church is prayer for the elders.
3. Submit to Qualified Authority (Hebrews 13:17)
There must be no submission where there is sinful, unqualified leadership. But where your leaders are consistent, faithful, qualified, and operating by Scripture, the Bible says to make it a joy — and not a grief — to shepherd your soul (Hebrews 13:17). Don’t give them a hard time unless they are being sinful, unrepentant, unwise, and unbecoming.
4. Serve in the Ministry (1 Peter 4:7-11)
Ministry is not about chasing titles, it’s about carrying a towel. You can be a blessing to your church by seeing needs and meeting needs. Ask about volunteer opportunities, sign up to serve where few are willing, show up early if you can, or stay later if you can. View Sundays as an “all in” effort where your family rallies to serve the body. Consider the ways in which you can do what is both seen and unseen for the benefit of others, not just on Sundays, but throughout your week. View your pastors not as professionals, but as leaders you are partnered with. We are all in the ministry.
5. Give Generously (Matthew 6:19-21; 2 Corinthians 8-9)
Some people will inevitably say: “I’ll give if I think the church needs it” rather than giving out of an eager heart of obedience. But one of the best ways to see your church thrive in its budget and stewardship is to give generously and consistently without reservation, trusting that if you’re under qualified leaders who are prayerful and faithful, they will lead the church wisely when it comes to finances. Giving generously ensures the baseline needs are met, surpluses can be effectively assigned, and the church can advance because it’s not being held back by a stingy or cynical spirit.
6. Nip Gossip in the Bud (1 Peter 2:1)
I believe that aside from trojan horse leaders and false teachers, the greatest threat to the church and our unity is gossip. You can be a huge blessing to your church by refusing to participate in it. According to Ken Sande: “To gossip means to betray a confidence or to discuss unfavorable personal facts about another person with someone who is not part of the problem or its solution.” By this definition, a high percentage of what gets discussed in churches is gossip.
- Did you hear about so-and-so?
- Hey, I heard this-and-that. What do you think?
- Oh, did you hear about this? I wonder what the “real story” is?
- Would you be willing to pray for so-and-so with me? Someone said they and so-and-so are fighting about something.
- Hey, I just wanted to make you aware of some things going on and get your take (insert one-sided narrative here)
You can add more, but the reality is, we gossip under the banner of “venting” all the time, and in the name of speaking the truth, we betray the Scriptures! Even if something is true, not every detail must always be shared with everyone. When in doubt, go to your brother, show him his sin, deal with the root of the problem with the people involved, forgive, and move on. Gossip is a sport no Christian should play. Your church will thank you!
7. Invite the Lost to Hear the Gospel (Romans 1:16-17)
Few things fire up your pastor more than seeing the church go out and be the church. Also, nothing puts pressure on a preacher to unleash the gospel more than seeing members bringing people expecting to hear it! Gift your church the gift of needy hearts whom God will save and transform.
8. Be Patient With Personal Preferences
The longer I pastor and talk to pastors, the more I find that too many churches take hits on things that don’t really matter. Music quality, lighting, layout, parking lot flow, coffee or no coffee, donuts or no donuts, seed oils or no seed oils, and even driving distance. Some will sacrifice truth to save time. Others will change churches like they change leased cars, swapping out old features for the latest fancy. You will be a massive blessing to your church by being consistent, faithful, and steadfast despite minor personal preferences.
If you’re looking for the perfect church based on your personal preferences, you’ll spend your life hopping from place to place and eventually realize, the problem is you.
9. Be Forgiving and Repentant (Colossians 3:13-15)
Forgiven people should be forgiving people. This creates a spirit of graciousness in the church, while not giving license to sin or overlooking it unbiblically. If you want to foster unity and bless your church, forgive quickly and often. When you’ve sinned or wronged someone, repent and ask for forgiveness. A forgiving church is a healthy church!
10. Confront Unrepentant Sin (1 Corinthians 5:12)
You are a blessing to your church when you take the Bible and sin seriously to the degree that Scripture calls you to. Avoiding conflict because it’s uncomfortable is the best way to let sin run wild, bullies beat down the church, and Satan have his way. Like Paul the Apostle exhorted the Corinthians, we need to judge “rightly” within the church and confront sin where it’s going unchecked. Don’t wait until things blow up or the pastor gets involved. Enact what the Bible calls every believer to do in Matthew 18:15: “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.”
11. Avoid & Reject Repeatedly Divisive People (Titus 3:10)
One of the final but perhaps most important ways you can be a blessing to your church is to have zero tolerance for divisive people. Commit to be an agent of unity and protection within the body. Titus 3:10-11 warns, “Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.” The idea of this passage is proactive protection for the church and unity’s sake. A “factious” person is someone who is causing division and seeking to bring a wedge between people.
More church members should remember that they are not the spectators in the life of the church, merely observing a pastoral performance. Instead, they ought to be exactly what Jesus has called them to be— the church.
